Write a Name with Embroidery and Love

In July 1995, women of Bosfam got to know the magnitude of the Srebrenica tragedy.
Women expelled from Srebrenica arrived to the Bosfam’s Centre in Tuzla (at that time, the Centre was at the Lesnina showroom in Tuzla).

Women, children and elderly arrived; each with their own sorrow. They waited and looked for their loved ones; those who “didn’t arrive”…
Everyone had a story about a person who did not arrive: son or sons, husband, father, brother and brothers, cousins, neighbours, friends…

The number of the missing persons was so enormous making it impossible for a normal person to accept the weight of this horrible reality.

Waiting, hoping, crying, despair, hopelessness – everyone filled with pain, and all together filled with sadness. These horrifying emotions became a part of our daily lives.
The time was passing by. The first anniversary was nearing – 11 July 1996.

How do you show people the magnitude of the Srebrenica tragedy?What can we do?
We know that the women all over the world show their feelings in different ways…
What was it that we could have done for our loved ones who were missing?
How could we show that we loved and missed them?And then, in Bosfam, we had the idea “Write a name with Embroidery and Love”.

And, so we started:
On 14 June 1996 in Tuzla, we sent this CALL to the women:

Based on our talks with women, we are starting the action “WRITE A NAME WITH EMBROIDERY AND LOVE”

We all know that the number of missing persons is huge – TOO LARGE. The families are looking for them and do not know the truth. Reports of missing persons are being filled out, names are being given. A lot of papers, a lot of forms…
Soon, it will be one year since Srebrenica “HAPPENED”, and it has been more than four years since people started “DISAPPEARING” around here. The time is passing by.
OUR DEAREST ARE NOT HERE…
LET’S WRITE THEIR NAMES AGAIN. LET’S WRITE THEM WITH LOVE:
THIS IS WHY
we are starting the activity “WRITE A NAME WITH EMBROIDERY AND LOVE…”FOR OUR LOVED ONES WHO DISAPPEARED – FOR EACH ONE OF THEM
LET’S MAKE PILLOWS AND LET’S EMBROIDER THE NAME
SURNAME, YEAR OF BIRTH AND PLACE OF ORIGIN.

Huge is the number of the missing. Huge is the number of pillows to be embroidered. The families cannot do that alone – we will all do it, together. This is why we call upon you to take part in this activity:
you can join by donating materials and embroidery threads, or you can embroider.
We invite all WOMEN and ASSOCIATIONS OF WOMEN to join the activity.
You can get more information at 035/257-534 Bosfam – Tuzla or in the Bosfam’s workshops.

THOUSANDS OF WOMEN RESPONDED TO THE CALL TO EMBROIDER THE PILLOWS NEEDLES, THREADS AND HARD-WORKING HANDS OF BOSNIAN WOMEN…

Thousands of women’s hands embroidered pillows with the names of the missing persons. Every pillow presented the wish of the Bosfam’s women – the wish that was born with the idea for the pillows – for at least one of the missing persons to appear, and at least someone to be happy…
Thousands of embroidered pillows with the name of the missing persons are now a recognisable sign of our dearest gone missing. Missing persons are a part of us all.
Pillows embroidered in Bosfam are our contribution to seeking truth about the missing persons, demand for punishment of all perpetrators and all those who participated in the massacre and all those who had not prevent it from happening.
We hope that the pillows will have their place at the Potocari Memorial Centre.

BOSFAM’s WISH IS FOR THE SREBRENICA TRAGEDY TO NEVER HAPPEN TO ANYONE EVER AGAIN

The first presentation of the embroidered pillow-slips for the SREBRENICA MISSING; press conference, Mejdan, Tuzla, 11 July 1996.

Embroidered pillows – the first symbol of the Srebrenica missing were given to the association “Women of Srebrenica”, who seek truth and justice through a peaceful protest with pillows, on the 11th day of each month.

“TRUTH TO US – PUNISHMENT TO THE CRIMINALS!”

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